About FSD
USA Staff
Eric Younger is the Chief Financial Officer of FSD. Eric has worked and studied in the field of sustainable economic development for thirteen years. Most recently, Eric was the Administrative Officer in Bulgaria for the US Peace Corps. In this role he worked with over 400 volunteers to help assure that their two years of volunteer service was relevant, productive and safe. Previous to the Peace Corps, Eric ran an NGO on the Navajo Reservation that focused on sustainable development by integrating health, literacy and economic development projects to address a wide range of needs of local native families. He has worked as a consultant to development projects in Thailand, Yemen and Mexico. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Papua New Guinea, Eric taught Mathematics and consulted with the local community on sustainable forestry projects. Eric earned a Master’s degree from Thunderbird (the American School for International Management) He focused on issues of sustainable development and its influence on the social, political and economic development issues in Latin America. Eric’s interests include microfinance, cooperatives role in development and the creation and growth of NGOs. Eric and his wife Heidi also have the full time job of raising two young boys Kai and Zachary.
Dr. Lori Allio is an FSD Board member and has temporarily joined the management team of FSD to assist during the transition period to a new Executive Director. She is the principal of Allio Consulting of San Francisco which works with domestic and international foundations and non-profit organizations. Dr. Allio’s specialties include evaluation, community and policy research, support for grant-making initiatives, and capacity building. Her experience working with non-profit organizations includes managing a small bi-national sustainable community development organization in Veracruz, Mexico; supporting the African Democratization Program and the Conflict Resolution Program at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta; and acting as a Research and Policy Manager for the California Endowment and the Rockefeller Foundation. Dr. Allio holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from U.C. Berkeley, an M.A. from the School of International Relations at the University of Southern California, and a Doctorate in Political Science from Emory University. She occasionally teaches in the areas of international development, foreign policy, and international non-profit practices and has published on a variety of topics related to non-governmental organizations, communities, policy, and development. Her regional expertise and field experience includes numerous countries in Eastern Europe and Latin America. Dr. Allio speaks excellent Spanish, good Polish, some Russian, and embarrassingly little Italian.
Alex Michel M.A. is the Director of Communications and Organizational Development for FSD. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Washington Business School in 1998 and was a founding member of two student travel companies – International Student Tours and TripHub.com – after graduation. In 2000, Alex traveled and volunteered in communities throughout South Asia, Europe, and South America before gaining a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology at John F. Kennedy University. During grad school, he worked for ClifBar, helping promote their sustainability efforts. He also aided the development of Blue Sky Biodiesel – The Bay Area’s first trucking company fueled by alternative energy. Following graduate school, Alex worked in Singapore to support the founding and development of Global Healthcare Resources – a recruiting and training company for international medical staff. His main vocational interests are entrepreneurship, sustainability, and the application of values and conscience in business leadership.
Teresa Perez is the Director of International Programs, Training and Evaluation. She is the daughter of Cuban immigrants and has a Masters in Development, Innovation and Change from the Universitá di Bologna, Italy. Teresa has been working with FSD since 2005 first as an intern in the San Francisco office, then as Coordinator for the Argentina Program’s inaugural year, then as Program Rover. These experiences together with her previous experiences as a National Director, manager, in addition to experience in public relations as well as living abroad for the last 8 years provided the combination of experiences which support her current position with FSD. The DIPTE works in conjunction with the Executive Director and the field offices by: aiding program development through the creation and implementation of materials; supporting and disseminating best practices in all field offices; providing training and development curricula and criteria; facilitating site expansion and ensuring field communication with the San Francisco office. Teresa hopes to continue diversifying her career in the field of sustainable development and build upon her experiences in the field while supporting FSD’s programming promoting the aspiration of a more equitable world.
Robin Waldroup is the International Programs Coordinator at FSD. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a BA in Psychology and Spanish. After her studies, she traveled to Argentina to teach English in a small town outside of Buenos Aires where she enjoyed living with a local family and participating in community life. Later moving to the capitol, she continued her studies of Latin American language and culture. Her interest in development issues was piqued after visiting with a microfinance group and, along with an addiction to tango, she returned from Argentina with a new focus to work in the global development field. Her central interests are women’s empowerment through education and entrepreneurship.
Stephanie Lindquist is an International Programs Coordinator with FSD. Originally from Minnesota, she attended Smith College where she graduated in 2000 with a degree in anthropology and economics with a focus on gender issues. After college she moved to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, where she developed an internship and volunteer program for a local Spanish school and started a grassroots non-profit organization focused on community development and education. Inspired by her experiences in Guatemala, Stephanie returned to school to study for her MSc in Anthropology and International Development at the London School of Economics. Stephanie has been involved with several Bay Area organizations focused on education, international grassroots development and women’s issues, and is excited to continue this work as a part of the FSD team.
Robin "Andie" Anderson-Wood is FSD's Outreach Coordinator. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in December 2003 with a Bachelor's degree in Speech Communication and Minor in Spanish. While a student, she studied a semester abroad in Salamanca, Spain and for her Senior Project conducted a research study on the relation between foreign language training and ethnocentrism. After graduation, she was accepted into AIESEC, an international program for young professionals who wish to work abroad. Through this organization, she moved to Quito, Ecuador to teach English. In Ecuador, she became involved in the lives of her students and volunteered her time with community development projects. Through her experiences in Ecuador, and her travels throughout other parts of South America and Europe, Robin developed an interest in International Development. After returning from Ecuador, she began interning for FSD and worked in the San Francisco headquarters. While an intern, she helped to plan FSD's annual summer benefit, judged grant proposals written by FSD interns for their projects abroad, contributed to the research and writing of information for the FSD website, and did translation work. She then spent a year working as an FSD Program Coordinator in Argentina. She is excited to have the opportunity to use her skills and experiences to help FSD move forward and continue its success.
Liz Cretti works as an International Program Coordinator for East Africa. She joins us as a recent FSD intern in Kakamega, Kenya, where she worked in a rural health clinic for several months. Having graduated from Stanford University in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in African history, Liz is excited to be working on the administrative side of FSD in San Francisco. She hopes to combine her interests in health and education with those of sustainable development within the global community. One day, she'd like to work as an international public health nurse, preferably in sub-Saharan Africa.
Pamela Behnken graduated in 2007 from the University of California, Berkeley with a BA in International Political Economy and a concentration in Latin American Development. She is especially interested in sustainable development because of the many environmental issues also facing us today. She is interning at FSD as an Development and Marketing Intern, expanding outreach avenues through online social networks. After work, Pamela practices and teaches competitive ballroom dancing, and she enjoys piano, reading, technology, and the outdoors.
Sam Gutner graduated in 2005 from Lafayette College with a BA in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Spanish. While there, he co-founded the Lafayette College chapter of Engineers Without Borders and co-managed a team through development and design of a potable water distribution system for the Lagunitas community in Yoro, Honduras. After school he biked across the country for Habitat for Humanity, raising money and awareness for the organization by giving presentations, talking to locals, and building houses. In his off time, Sam enjoys concerts and anything outdoors: hiking, biking, camping, climbing.
Erin Hersey is the Alumni Relations and Events Coordinator at FSD. She graduated in 2005 from The George Washington University with a BA in International Relations double concentrating in Latin American Studies and Comparative Political, Economic, and Social systems. During college she studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she volunteered her time with a grassroots human rights organization that focused on youth and education. This experience influenced her to become involved in grassroots development work, and in 2006 she left her paralegal job with a law firm in DC to move to San Francisco and pursue this interest. Erin enjoys rock climbing, biking (she did the AIDS Lifecycle in 2007), and food (she really, really, really loves food).
Angela Hsiao is currently an undergraduate at UC Berkeley pursuing simultaneous degrees in Business Administration and Economics. She is particularly interested in economic development and health issues in developing countries, but would also like to learn more about international business and non-profit management. She enjoys proofreading and editing, pilates, going to concerts, cooking, and watching The Office.
Krissa Lagos is an Outreach Intern at FSD, focusing on postings presence. She graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 2005 with a Bachelor’s in English Literature and Minor in Spanish. She spent her junior year studying in Barcelona and traveling Europe, an experience which inspired her to spend nine months in South America following graduation. During that time she volunteered for one month at an animal refuge in the Bolivian jungle, where she worked with a puma and other wild animals rescued from abusive situations. She also spent time in Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Colombia, where she visited and fell in love with many small, vibrant communities in desperate need of the resources that organizations like FSD provide. Krissa is thrilled to be part of FSD’s efforts.
Soren Szczepanek graduated from the University of California at Davis, with a BA in Latin American & United States History. Shortly after graduating, Soren spent three months in Guatemala studying Spanish and volunteering building houses with a community of refugees. Soren’s experience in Guatemala sparked his interest in pursuing a career in poverty reduction work on the international level. Upon returning from Guatemala, Soren enrolled in a graduate program at the School for International Training. Most recently, Soren returned from Ecuador where he completed both his practicum and thesis for his MA in Sustainable Development. Soren enjoys reading novels, discussing politics, playing tennis and watching The Wire.
Julie Tegan recently graduated from Boston University with a degree in International Relations and concentrations in Development and the Middle East. Originally from Oakland, Ca, she has return to the Bay Area to assist the FSD staff as an International Programs intern. Her interests include traveling, yoga, going to concerts and the outdoors.
Recent Interns and Volunteers
Summer Aronson worked as an International Program Coordinator for India. She joined us as a recent transplant from her island home of Hawaii, where she worked in business as a Realtor for several years. Having graduated from Santa Clara University in 2002 with a degree in sociology and ethnic studies, she was thrilled to be back in the bay area and focus her energies on the issue of sustainable development within the global community.
Caty Moniz, originally from Seattle, is currently in her final year of undergraduate work at Barnard College of Columbia University in New York City where she majors in economics with a focus on poverty traps and determinates of economic growth in lesser-developed nations. She recently returned from studying abroad at the University of Cape Town in South Africa where she spent time traveling throughout Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. She interned with FSD in order to gain insight into non-profit and grassroots organizations to pursue her career goals in international development economics. Her interests include traveling, photography, soccer, and African languages.
Lucy Pasternak provides program support for Latin America. She is currently in Ecuador serving as a program coordinator. Most recently, she spent two years in Africa with the Peace Corps, living in a rural village in southern Tanzania. As a community health educator, she focused mainly on HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness, also exploring issues such as women’s rights, malaria, tuberculosis, orphaned youth, and sustainable solutions to lack of water resources. While Lucy is originally from the Czech Republic, she has lived most of her life in the United States. Moving around frequently sparked her interest in cultural immersion and learning new languages. Thus far she speaks Spanish, Swahili, Czech, and of course English. Lucy has a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from U.C. Berkeley, and in 2002 studied abroad for one year in Barcelona, Spain. Her interests include architecture, community development, and writing.
Salwa Ansari recently left her life as a NYC banker to explore the non-profit/development world. Prior to spending the past 6 years working in capital markets, she completed her bachelors and her masters in political science from UC Berkeley. As she makes the career transition, her interest in international development is constantly evolving and centers more specifically around sustainable microfinance and women's empowerment. She
recently spent time in Africa visiting FSD's two Kenya programs to
learn more about development work.
Sarah Raifman is currently an undergraduate student at Brown University pursuing a degree in Development Studies, an interdisciplinary major about international development. She is especially interested in community health issues as well as the interface between technology and developing countries. In addition, she would like to become more knowledgeable about international business and economics. She enjoys writing, drawing, figure skating, and field hockey.
Dresden Romero is an Outreach Program Intern for FSD. Her study abroad experience in Granada, Spain in 2003 sparked her interest in the international community. She received her B.A. in Journalism, with a minor in Spanish from Oklahoma Baptist University in 2005. A second-year graduate student at the University of Denver, Dresden studies International and Intercultural Communication with an emphasis on public relations and women's empowerment. Eventually, she hopes to use her education to work with women in Latin America. Dresden enjoys
writing, dancing, camping and meeting passionate people.
Kelley Thomas is an outreach assistant at FSD's San Francisco headquarters. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Water Resources at Oregon State University. Kelley received her BA in International Political Economy at the University of Puget Sound, and has spent the past two years working for a non-profit water conservation organization based in Southern Oregon. While working with FSD this summer, Kelley will also be conducting research for her Masters Thesis studying conservation practices in rural agriculture. In addition to her interest in conservation and global issues, Kelley is also passionate about education, traveling, surfing, music, backpacking, and playing with her dog.
Jennie Barr recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Political Science and an emphasis on political economy and development. Jennie’s interest in sustainable development was ignited by the many compelling arguments, authors and professors she encountered throughout her coursework. She is particularly interested in political and economic development throughout Eastern Europe as well as the environmental challenges faced by developing countries everywhere. Jennie loves animals and the outdoors and is excited to be able to contribute to the goals put forth by the FSD team.
Elysha Rom-Povolo worked in the FSD office as an Outreach Assistant and now acts as a graphic design consultant. Originally from northern Michigan, she is a fourth year student at Northwestern University in the School of Education and Social Policy. In 2005, Elysha traveled to Ecuador and Peru as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and later completed a study abroad program in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Her experiences abroad and at home contributed to her interest in global development and led her to FSD. In addition to global issues, Elysha is also passionate about public art, music, and education.
Dr. Lori Allio is an FSD Board member and has temporarily joined the management team of FSD to assist during the transition period to a new Executive Director. She is the principal of Allio Consulting of San Francisco which works with domestic and international foundations and non-profit organizations. Dr. Allio’s specialties include evaluation, community and policy research, support for grant-making initiatives, and capacity building. Her experience working with non-profit organizations includes managing a small bi-national sustainable community development organization in Veracruz, Mexico; supporting the African Democratization Program and the Conflict Resolution Program at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta; and acting as a Research and Policy Manager for the California Endowment and the Rockefeller Foundation. Dr. Allio holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from U.C. Berkeley, an M.A. from the School of International Relations at the University of Southern California, and a Doctorate in Political Science from Emory University. She occasionally teaches in the areas of international development, foreign policy, and international non-profit practices and has published on a variety of topics related to non-governmental organizations, communities, policy, and development. Her regional expertise and field experience includes numerous countries in Eastern Europe and Latin America. Dr. Allio speaks excellent Spanish, good Polish, some Russian, and embarrassingly little Italian.
Robin "Andie" Anderson-Wood is FSD's Outreach Coordinator. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in December 2003 with a Bachelor's degree in Speech Communication and Minor in Spanish. While a student, she studied a semester abroad in Salamanca, Spain and for her Senior Project conducted a research study on the relation between foreign language training and ethnocentrism. After graduation, she was accepted into AIESEC, an international program for young professionals who wish to work abroad. Through this organization, she moved to Quito, Ecuador to teach English. In Ecuador, she became involved in the lives of her students and volunteered her time with community development projects. Through her experiences in Ecuador, and her travels throughout other parts of South America and Europe, Robin developed an interest in International Development. After returning from Ecuador, she began interning for FSD and worked in the San Francisco headquarters. While an intern, she helped to plan FSD's annual summer benefit, judged grant proposals written by FSD interns for their projects abroad, contributed to the research and writing of information for the FSD website, and did translation work. She then spent a year working as an FSD Program Coordinator in Argentina. She is excited to have the opportunity to use her skills and experiences to help FSD move forward and continue its success. Interns and Volunteers
Angela Hsiao is currently an undergraduate at UC Berkeley pursuing simultaneous degrees in Business Administration and Economics. She is particularly interested in economic development and health issues in developing countries, but would also like to learn more about international business and non-profit management. She enjoys proofreading and editing, pilates, going to concerts, cooking, and watching The Office.
Krissa Lagos is an Outreach Intern at FSD, focusing on postings presence. She graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 2005 with a Bachelor’s in English Literature and Minor in Spanish. She spent her junior year studying in Barcelona and traveling Europe, an experience which inspired her to spend nine months in South America following graduation. During that time she volunteered for one month at an animal refuge in the Bolivian jungle, where she worked with a puma and other wild animals rescued from abusive situations. She also spent time in Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Colombia, where she visited and fell in love with many small, vibrant communities in desperate need of the resources that organizations like FSD provide. Krissa is thrilled to be part of FSD’s efforts.
Soren Szczepanek graduated from the University of California at Davis, with a BA in Latin American & United States History. Shortly after graduating, Soren spent three months in Guatemala studying Spanish and volunteering building houses with a community of refugees. Soren’s experience in Guatemala sparked his interest in pursuing a career in poverty reduction work on the international level. Upon returning from Guatemala, Soren enrolled in a graduate program at the School for International Training. Most recently, Soren returned from Ecuador where he completed both his practicum and thesis for his MA in Sustainable Development. Soren enjoys reading novels, discussing politics, playing tennis and watching The Wire.
Recent Interns and Volunteers
Salwa Ansari recently left her life as a NYC banker to explore the non-profit/development world. Prior to spending the past 6 years working in capital markets, she completed her bachelors and her masters in political science from UC Berkeley. As she makes the career transition, her interest in international development is constantly evolving and centers more specifically around sustainable microfinance and women's empowerment. She
recently spent time in Africa visiting FSD's two Kenya programs to
learn more about development work.Elysha Rom-Povolo worked in the FSD office as an Outreach Assistant and now acts as a graphic design consultant. Originally from northern Michigan, she is a fourth year student at Northwestern University in the School of Education and Social Policy. In 2005, Elysha traveled to Ecuador and Peru as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and later completed a study abroad program in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Her experiences abroad and at home contributed to her interest in global development and led her to FSD. In addition to global issues, Elysha is also passionate about public art, music, and education.